Chapter 2: The Cheerful Sunny Boy
With her fake identity papers in hand, Evelia successfully blended in with the group of new servants at the knight captain’s new estate.
All of her fake background had been carefully prepared by the Second Prince himself, so there were no flaws at all. He even arranged for her to become the captain’s personal maid, which would make it easier for her to carry out her mission.
All the servants had gathered early in the morning at the mansion, waiting for their new master to arrive. The mansion was beautifully decorated and clearly showed how powerful Captain Armand was now.
Evelia stood at the very front of the group because she had been assigned as Armand’s personal maid. She had spent a whole day learning the proper manners of a noble servant, and two more days getting to know the other servants.
Her schedule was so tight that she hadn’t even fully adjusted to the changes in her body yet. Although she had memorized all the etiquette, her posture still looked a little stiff.
“Welcome to your estate, Captain Armand Systalia.”
The old butler was the first to speak.
As the doors opened, all the servants bowed deeply and respectfully.
A man with short black hair walked in from the bright sunlight outside. His tall figure blocked the light, and for a moment, it felt like a shadow had fallen, full of pressure and intensity.
But then—
“Haha, no need to be so formal! Why all the fuss? I’m just moving house.”
Just a second ago, he had the overwhelming presence of a general who had never lost a battle. But as soon as he spoke, his relaxed and friendly tone made everyone feel more at ease.
Since Armand believed in treating people like equals, he had no strict rule about servants not being allowed to look directly at him. So when the new servants heard his voice, many of them looked up out of curiosity to see what this legendary knight captain looked like.
“Hello, everyone! I’m Armand Systalia. I don’t like getting involved in political games, so I never asked the royal family for a title. There’s no need to be so stiff around me or use all that fancy royal etiquette. I’m just a simple guy, you can just call me by my name, or call me ‘Captain,’ that’s fine too.”
Armand waved with a cheerful smile at his servants. When he grinned, his sharp canine teeth were clearly visible.
He didn’t look anything like the feared knight commander from the battlefield. He looked more like a friendly older brother from the neighborhood, the kind you’d randomly run into during your youth.
Evelia, just like the other curious servants, looked carefully at the man in front of her. Although she had seen his portrait before, that was nothing like seeing him in person.
The portrait had been a formal one, so Armand looked much more serious and noble. Even though he had been smiling in the picture too, the long list of his achievements and honors written beside it made him feel distant and intimidating. When Evelia had first taken on this mission, she had felt a lot of pressure.
But now, seeing him in real life, Evelia secretly let out a breath of relief.
The man in front of her was not yet thirty. He was tall and strong, but not bulky like a bodybuilder. Instead, he had the energy and charm of a young man, still full of life and spirit. He really did look like a “boy” in some ways.
His black hair didn’t shine like the royal family’s golden hair, but it made him seem calm and grounded. His clear blue eyes gave off a clean and honest feeling. He was always smiling, and even his eyelashes were long.
Now Evelia fully understood why so many noble girls had fallen for him. If someone only cared about looks, there really wasn’t anyone in the noble circle who could compare to Armand. And his natural friendliness was something that cold, calculating politicians could never fake.
From his clothes, it was obvious that he didn’t care much about fashion. Even though moving into a new home was a big event, he was just wearing a plain white shirt with a gray coat over it.
He had his favorite sword at his waist, but from head to toe, including the sword, there wasn’t a single fancy decoration. You could say he was extremely simple and plain.
Even with such simple clothes, Armand still managed to show off his amazing good looks. Evelia kept observing him with the mindset of "gathering information."
As for the other young maids, they were already completely drawn in by Armand’s warm and cheerful smile.
The old butler beside Armand began introducing the servants one by one, the people Armand would be working with in the future.
But Armand didn’t seem very good at remembering names. He listened with an awkward smile and nodded along, but it seemed like the only way he could really tell people apart was by what they were wearing.
“This is Evelia Croyelle, your personal maid here. If you need help with anything in your daily life, you can ask her.”
“Pink hair, huh? That’s rare.”
Armand didn’t seem to remember Evelia’s name, he just laughed a little while noticing her eye-catching pink hair. Unlike the other maids who introduced themselves with dreamy, starry eyes, Evelia stayed calm, bowed her head, and gave a proper greeting.
“Greetings, Lord Systalia. I am your personal maid, Evelia Croyelle.”
“Why so formal? I already said you can just use my name. I really don’t like a strict class system in my own home.”
Armand smiled at Evelia again. His bright and sunny smile made Evelia feel like there were shining special effects beaming right onto her head.
“Then... Sir Armand?”
“Just use ‘Mr.’ That sounds better. ‘Sir’ makes me feel old.”
“Alright then, Mr. Armand.”
After Evelia spoke, the introductions should have been finished. She was the last maid to be introduced. The butler should have taken Armand on a tour of the estate after that.
But Armand didn’t move. He just stood there smiling at Evelia, as if deep in thought.
His smile was still as warm and friendly as before, but standing directly in front of Evelia like that made her feel like the sun was blazing down on her head. She didn’t know when this "big sunshine" would finally set.
If she were still male like before, she might not have felt so overwhelmed. After all, they would have been the same height, and she wouldn't feel like her head was being scorched.
“Do you need anything else…?”
Evelia was a little confused and honestly found this overly cheerful guy hard to handle. She looked up at the man she might have to assassinate one day, her brown-gold eyes meeting his.
“Nothing much. I’ve just never seen a girl with pink hair before, so I couldn’t help but look a bit longer.”
Armand laughed in a carefree way, like he didn’t have a single sneaky thought in his head.
“Pink isn’t that rare...”
“It’s really pretty.”
“……” Evelia froze for a moment, then replied, “Thank you for the compliment.”
“You look much younger than the others. How old are you?”
“If I may answer... I’m already an adult.”
“That’s a clever way to answer… What was your last name again? Which family are you from?”
“Evelia Croyelle. I’m just an ordinary girl from a commoner family.”
“A commoner’s daughter reaching this kind of position, that’s impressive. You must’ve worked hard.”
“Not really. The higher you go, the more you get paid. That’s all.”
“Haha, that’s true. I like girls who speak so honestly. Looks like choosing you as my personal maid was the right choice.”
“…Thank you for your trust.”
Armand laughed loudly and gave Evelia a friendly pat on the shoulder, just like how a commander might praise a soldier. Evelia didn’t say anything more. She stayed quiet and listened to his laugh, feeling the gentle pressure of his hand. Clearly, he had held back his strength on purpose.
Then, she heard him sigh softly, like he was thinking about how hard her life must’ve been.
After Armand turned and walked away, Evelia lifted her head slightly to watch his back. As the other maids whispered excitedly behind her, she stood still, deep in thought.